First came the war on drugs. Then the war on terror. And now - in an America more than usually prone to fear, paranoia and the beeping of colour-coded alert systems - comes the war on organic spinach. Ever since

The President of Somalia's weak, transitional government survived an assassination attempt yesterday, which killed at least 11 people, including his brother. President Abdullahi Yusuf had been travelling to his residence in the western town of Baidoa, where the UN-backed government

Ed Benedict, animator: born 23 August 1912; married; died Auburn, California 28 August 2006. The animator Ed Benedict designed some of television's most famous cartoon characters, from Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear to Fred and Barney of The Flintstones. He

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Sara Lee Corp. on Monday sought to draw a line between a 19-month portfolio overhaul that ended this month and its plans to grow the remaining businesses.

An acne treatment blamed for triggering suicides in young people has been shown to cause depressive behaviour in animal tests. The finding lends support to claims that Roaccutane, not the acne, may have led to the affected individuals taking their

Japan's most important election in years will not be especially democratic; it will be closed to the general public and we already know the winner. But, for better or worse, by the end of this month the world's second-largest economy

For seven years, he has been the man married to the woman who runs New Zealand, an unassuming figure at Helen Clark's side as she claimed a succession of election victories. Now Peter Davis has been thrust into the spotlight

Sweden was starting a new political era yesterday as its long-serving Social Democratic premier, Goran Persson, handed in his resignation, complaining that his election defeat at the hands of a centre-right coalition was unfair. Sunday's vote ends a 12-year spell

Outwardly, Anthony De Boise was a respected husband and father, an impeccably dressed architect who held a senior position with a local authority. But the man known to his friends and colleagues as "Mr Nice Guy" led a bizarre double

England has become a full degree Celsius warmer since the Beatles started playing - and human activity is the cause, according to research released yesterday. Since 1960, when John, Paul and George formed their legendary band - Ringo came later

A man charged with planning terrorist explosions in Britain refused to continue testifying yesterday, saying he feared it would cause difficulties for his family in Pakistan. "Before we go on to that topic, I just want to say the ISI

Why are we asking? Because Sweden's voters have thrown out their Social Democratic government after 12 years in office, striking a blow to one of the most successful political parties in Europe. Sunday's elections ended the 10-year premiership of Göran

As protests against the Pope continued to rumble around the Muslim world yesterday, Catholics began asking themselves if this highly intelligent man can really have been so crass as to have ignited the passions of millions of Muslims without realising

Nayef Abu Snaima says his 14-year-old cousin Jihad had been sitting on the edge of an olive grove talking animatedly to him about what he would do when he grew up when he was killed instantly by an Israeli shell.

Oriana Fallaci, writer and journalist: born Florence 29 June 1929; died Florence 15 September 2006. Oriana Fallaci was arguably the most extraordinary journalist Italy has ever produced. Her tough character was formed by early years helping her Partisan parents defy

Douglas Henderson, management consultant and politician: born Edinburgh 16 July 1935; MP (SNP) for East Aberdeenshire 1974-79; married 1960 Maureen Ferguson (four children; marriage dissolved); died Edinburgh 15 September 2006. Douglas Henderson was a member of the House of Commons

Sir Menzies Campbell has branded David Cameron as a "phoney" liberal and said the Conservative Party could have prevented British involvement in the Iraq war if they had opposed it. In an interview with The Independent yesterday, the Liberal Democrat

Life in the Cabinet Office has, it seems, been a decidedly stressful affair for its incumbents, of late. The department spent more than £50,000 on chartered psychologists last year to help staff tackle anxieties and boost achievement. While the outlay

Richard David Say, priest: born 4 October 1914; ordained deacon 1939, priest 1940; Curate, Croydon Parish Church 1939-43; Curate, St Martin-in-the-Fields 1943-50; Assistant Secretary, Church of England Youth Council 1942-44, General Secretary 1944-47; General Secretary, British Council of Churches 1947-55;

The Liberal Democrats are on the cusp of the political "tipping point" that will give them the credibility to win a giant leap in support and propel them into government, a senior frontbencher said last night. Chris Huhne, the party's